The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-10-20
fHE INFORMER'S FATE
IA Adventure with Pirates In the
Gulf of Alden.

q Ihave several times heard my father,
w. 40 was a Lieutenant aboard of H. M.
v 4 Spitfre, tell of his adventures among
h pirates who used to make the coasts
A Arabia and Persia such a terror to
samen. 1t took many years and plenty
hard knocks to clear the seas of
bose gentry, and the crews of the war
npea bps received more wounds than prize
hse mney One story in particular which
b Heard my father tell several times
8 ns mg had q peculiar interest for me, for
'ssE had seen the vessel spoken of in dock
caa aLiverpool. will give the yarn in
On ibown language as near as can:
g We had run across from the Lacca-
els iss Islands to the Gulf of Alden, and
rae just inside the Island of Socotra
2 shen we picked up sailor floating on
sFank. 1t was about seven o'clock in
!. asmorning. with little or no sea run
- ,s ting. and tde lookout saw him when he
y W. rs ret mile away. How he was
9 msesfed from the sharks has always
sh matter of mystery to me.
&hen we lowered a boat to pick
bin up he was fairly surrounded
aat y the hungry monsters. Through
ruA DO ships glass l counted nine
les ben cutting the water around his
- iOst and could not believe that the
boat would be able to reach him before
nj M was drawn down. If Providence
~ ner makes special effort for poor hui
hS nanity it made a grand effort to pre-
= erve that sailors life and permit him
or fulfill his mission. He was drawn
afely aboard the boat, and when he
Il had had glass of grog we got his
lt1 sory. He had been second mate on
a. beard an American brig named the
hu Me Flag. | think she hailed from
B Boston, but am not sure. / saw her in
liverpool three years before this Incl
} + lent and painted on her stern was the
Ch ant American flag l had ever seen ex-
y cept at distance. This was the rea-
q Nn ! remembered her above all others.
The American had been up the
Gun and into the Red Sea, and had
g come out with part of cargo and was
T. gong up to Mirbat to finish loading,
q vaen he was attacked by three pirate
9 anows This occurred the evening be-
nfe and only twenty miles north of
iae Island. The attack was made after
'andoWn. and while two other mer-
8 9antmen were in sight. The dhows
= been noticed lowering about, and
.ae'r evil inteption was suspecdA, but
Twas little the crew of the brig could
@ % defend themselves. They had
" Old muskets and cutlasses, but the
s saows ran the brig aboard, poured
my or sixty men On to her decks, and
- ngnt was over in five minutes. The
1ase knowing that all was lost, had
sone overheard with plank during
y confusion, and the wind and sea
g drifted him down across our course.
aaefe was no doubt that every man
10asu the brig had been cut down or
ssa ior captivity and ransom, and
as4 !ne vessel had been thoroughly
Z ranuered by that time, but it was Just
ca an incident as we wanted to hear
= We hadn't had brush with the
s.a'es ior several weeks. and were get
Mg rusty for the want of work.
Inc Spithne was. of course, q sail
/ snip She was a snug craft of
! sa. slx guns. with a strong and ready
1 Nv. and the first thing done after
q Ing tne sailors story was to heave
! g e V the light wind and transform
I y nom . taught and trim man-of-war
I NY ~. : merchantman. I had charge of
xork. and it was not the first time
\ aad made the change to deceive the
I assA Inside OF three hours the best
I s'ssa w ! aboard Of dhow could not have
A. A. y me opltfire Of the Royal Navy from
I oaran Jane Of New Bedford. And
- we oeatup to the north for further
~, $. concerning the brig. The wind
a. - usnt and battling, and when night
I s.sa l we had seen nothing. just at
: however. French bark coming
a.. y Aeshin reported seeing three
s ana . brig standing in for bay
m issn Mirbat and the latter place-a
g place and rendezvous, as we had
oasly been informed. We could
.o'nlng going in there in the night,
s. *e stood on till pretty well in to
ast and then prepared to lay Of